Provincial Meeting 2009

New members of the degree, Bill Roberts, Adrian Bligh and Paul Rabbitts are welcomed by the Provincial Grand Master David Nelson and the Assistant Grand Master Ben Addy.

The Annual Meeting of Mark Masonry in Somerset was held under the Banner of the Nailsea Lodge No.1548 and it was to a capacity gathering that the Banner was proudly paraded in, accompanied by the Master and Lodge members. All then rose to greet the dignitaries and guests who in turn stood to receive The R. W. Bro. David Brian Nelson, Provincial Grand Master for Somerset, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Somerset, The V. W. Bro. Raymond Guthrie and members of the Provincial Team. The PGM greeted the assembly, the opening Hymn was sung and Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in due form A further report at the door heralded the entry of the Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Nicholas Murzell, who requested all to stand to receive The Assistant Grand Master, The R. W. Bro. Benjamin Addy, accompanied by the Assistant Grand Secretary, The V. W. Bro. Simon Mighall; all were suitably greeted by the Provincial Grand Master. The items of business were speedily dealt with, which included a special welcome to a delegation of Royal Ark Mariners dressed in the Degree of their order and Brethren who were newly Advanced into Mark during the current year. The meeting culminated with the appointment by the Provincial Grand Master of his Senior and Junior Wardens. The remaining Provincial Officers, Active, Past and Promoted were then greeted individually and invested by the PGM, after which he rose to address Provincial Grand Lodge. The Travelling Keystone, that has been roving around the Province over the last 20 years, bringing Somerset Lodges together and making countless friends during its passage, was presented to the PGM by the Master and Brethren of the Cerdic Lodge No. 571 who had travelled from Chard to present it. (The PGM in turn delivered the Keystone to Nailsea Lodge in May, to start its new journey around the Province). Provincial Grand Lodge was closed in due form and all rose for the Provincial Grand Master and dignitaries to retire. Eighty ladies accompanied the Brethren to the Webbington hotel and were suitably entertained whilst Provincial Grand Lodge was in session. An account of their meeting, related by Heather Morrisey follows: The happy atmosphere of the Provincial Meeting and especially the dinner that followed is ever growing in popularity each year. The Province of Somerset is, as far as can be determined, the only Province that invites their ladies to the festivities of this special day in the Provincial Calendar. Some 300 diners later sat to enjoy a pleasant dinner with minimum formality and maximum enjoyment. Report and photos by Pat Morissey.

The Provincial Grand Master’s Project Fund

The Provincial Grand Master’s Project Fund for the forthcoming year will benefit two Somerset Charities, the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and the City of Wells Ambulance. It may well be remembered that in the year 2000 on a particularly sunny afternoon in Wells and following Evensong at the Cathedral, the Mark Master Masons of Somerset, headed by the then Provincial Grand Master Tony Hick, presented a new Crusader Ambulance to St. John, City of Wells Division. The Ambulance was part of a donation of 40 such vehicles donated by the Mark Benevolent Fund throughout England; the gift was valued in excess of £2million. It is the wish of our present PGM David Nelson that his Project Fund will provide sufficient funds to purchase an ECG Monitor to turn our Crusader into a Paramedic Ambulance. The second project will be the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. It is hoped to purchase two dogs and sponsor their training, thus enabling an improvement in the quality of life for two disabled Somerset people...Pat Morissey

. Ian Abraham, Kevin Penny and Andrew Scott the Wells Ambulance crew with their Mark Wells City Ambulance and Hearing Dogs for Deaf Prople, Linda and Mike Sullivan with Flint.